Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung)
Also: Gewerbeanmeldung, Gewerbeanzeige, business registration
In short
Anyone who starts operating a trade independently must notify the competent authority, usually the municipality's trade office, at the same time. This applies to sole proprietors as well as to the GbR, OHG, KG, GmbH and UG, but not to the liberal professions.
Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) explained
Many municipalities offer registration online, and the municipality sets the fee. In a GbR, each partner usually registers. The State of Berlin charges €26 per individual trade or per partner for registration in person and €15 online (service.berlin.de, read on 10 Nov 2026). For a GmbH and UG, the managing director registers at the company's registered office, usually after registration in the commercial register, at the latest when the activity begins. The trade office informs other bodies, including the tax office, the chamber and the employers' liability insurance association (Sec. 14 (8) GewO). You still submit the tax registration questionnaire yourself via ELSTER, within one month (Sec. 138 (1b) and (4) AO). Activities requiring a permit need the permit beforehand.
